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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. pop — soda
  4. bass — the fish
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. pop — music
  7. pop — to visit
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. chest — a box
  10. chest — of your body
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. chest — of your body
  13. board — a committee
  14. board — to get on
  15. key — in music
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. key — for a lock
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. pass — a permit
  20. mark — a trace
  21. bass — low music
  22. key — the most important part
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. trunk — of a tree

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com